Watch out for that new 'fast dry' lacquer from the hardware store

I used it on a maple vanity top last week thinking it would save me a day. The first coat went on fine, but the second coat started to orange peel and wrinkle like crazy. I had to strip the whole thing back to bare wood with a scraper and sandpaper, which took almost four hours. Then I had to wait a full day for the wood to settle before starting over with my usual brand. That one can of lacquer cost me an entire work day. Has anyone else had a bad reaction with a finish over maple recently?

3 comments

3 Comments

marknelson1mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst. Maple can be a real pain sometimes, it's like it just holds onto stuff. I had a similar thing happen with a different brand of fast-dry poly on a maple shelf. It looked perfect, then the next morning it was all cloudy and weird. I'm starting to think maple just needs that extra dry time, no matter what the can says. Those "save a day" products always seem to cost you two days instead.

the_karen1mo ago

Actually, I had the exact opposite experience with that same brand on a walnut table. I put on three coats in one afternoon with perfect leveling each time. Maybe the maple had some leftover cleaner or oil you couldn't see? I've found that even a tiny bit of silicone from furniture polish can make a finish act crazy.

hayden_rivera23d ago

Karen's onto something with the silicone idea. That stuff hides in wood pores and messes with surface tension. Maple's got tight grain but it still soaks up polish and cleaners. You might need a full solvent wash, not just a quick wipe, before finishing. Learned that the hard way on a dresser top last year.